The Hague to ease rules for Homestay Rental and splitting homes
The city of The Hague plans to ease rules for splitting homes and for homestay rentals. This is a welcome step to increase housing supply for students and young residents struggling to find accommodation.
Good news for house hunters in The Hague and homeowners with a spare room: the municipality intends to make it much easier to split houses into apartments, rent out rooms, and allow homestay rental. As Alderman Co Engberts (PvdA, Housing) rightly points out: "We all know someone who has been looking for a home for years."
Until recently, The Hague had strict rules regarding property splitting and room rentals. Since 2021, it was almost impossible in many parts of the city to divide homes into apartments or student rooms. But with a growing housing shortage — the city aims to build 4,000 homes annually but struggles to meet demand — the municipal government is now turning to new solutions.
300 Extra Homes Per Year Through Splitting and Room Rentals
The new plans aim to simplify the process of splitting existing homes into multiple apartments or creating additional rooms. The city expects this will result in around 300 extra homes and 300 additional rooms per year.
In addition, the municipality wants to make homestay rental more attractive — a relatively easy way to provide housing for students and young professionals. Alderman Engberts emphasizes that many people are unaware that rental income from homestay arrangements is tax-free up to €6.324 annually. However, if these new plans are approved, residents will need to report homestay rentals to the municipality.
Room for Growth, But with Safeguards for Liveability
The rule changes won’t apply everywhere without restriction. Conditions will remain in place to protect neighbourhood quality:
- Splitting homes is only allowed in districts with a good or excellent liveability score and where parking pressure is below 90%.
- A purchase protection still applies to homes with a WOZ value below €450,000.
- Not every building can be fully converted into shared housing; for example, in a building with three apartments, only one may be converted into multiple rooms.
In short: significant relaxation of the rules, but with a careful eye on maintaining neighbourhood balance.
New Rules Expected to Start Next Year 🔔
The plans will soon be open for public consultation, after which the city council will deliberate. The aim is for the new rules to come into effect next year. Hospi Housing is closely monitoring the changes in The Hague policy and will notify you whenever major chances occur.
Do you live in The Hague (or elsewhere) and are you considering renting out a room in your home? Register for free or get in touch with us for a no-obligation chat. At Hospi Housing, we’re happy to help you get started and guide you through every step of the process!